What Is Motivation?

Many times, the difference between success and failure is found in motivation. According to Merriam Webster, motivation is defined as a force or influence that causes someone to do something. It causes us to act on a want or need, which could be something simple like getting a drink or snack because you are motivated by thirst or hunger — or it could be more complicated — like running 15-20 miles every morning because it has been a lifelong goal to complete a marathon in three hours or less. Basically, motivation is why a person does something.

Here some examples to consider when thinking about motivation:

“The term motivation refers to factors that activate, direct, and sustain goal-directed behavior… Motives are the “whys” of behavior – the needs or wants that drive behavior and explain what we do. We don’t actually observe a motive; rather, we infer that one exists based on the behavior we observe.” (Nevid, 2013)